Process for the manufacture of hats of straw, palm-leaf, and the like.



H. P. PEARSON.

EROGESS FOR THE MALUFAGTURE OF HATS 0F STRAW, PALM LEAF, AND THE LIKE.APPLICATION FILED OUT. 8, 1907.

92?;@?%;, Patented July 13, 1909.

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man STATES PAENT OFFIQE.

HERBERT PINK PEARSON, OF EALING, LONDON, ENGLAND' PROCESS FOR THEMANUFACTURE OF HATS OF STRAW, PALM-LEAF, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT PINK PEAR- SON, a subject of the Kingdom ofGreat Britain, residing at 19 Wimbourne Gardens, Ealing, London, in thecounty of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Process forthe Manufacture of Hats of Straw, Palm-Leaf, and the Like.

The present invention relates to a process whereby a solution isprepared to be applied to the hat for the purposevof renderin itimpermeable to water, so, that it does not Iose its shape or finish byrain or washing, while at the same time its general appearance isunchanged, it is ,preserved from the discoloringaction of sunlight, andit is less liable to become soiled.

According to this invention the material of the hat is soaked in, or,coated with, a transparent non-aqueous water-proofing so lution eitherbefore or after shaping. For this purpose a solution of nitrocellulosein acetone 15 preferably employed which solution is comparatively inexensive to repare and evaporates sufficient y slowly, eaving I have foundnitro-cellulose solution an improvement on rubber solutions, whichchange the color of the hat, or wax solutions which alter its generalappearance. Moreover, I find that the acetone solution ofnitro-cellulose if prepared according to this specification, is animprovement on solutions 0 nitro-cellulo'se in other solvents such asether-alcohol which evaporates too uickly, and amyl acetate or ,formate,both 0 which are too expensive and leave very objectionable smells onthe hat. Acetone is further preferable to other solvents in that it ma ecombined with a small proportion of su furous acid, hydrosullurous acid,this sulfurous acid or compounds of these acids, the obj ect of thisbeing to remove and prevent the yellow coloration which may be given tothe solution by the nitro-cellulose, or which the solution may acquireon storing or exposure to light. The solution so decolorized can be usedfor the whitest hats without deterioratin or changin the color.

.he nitrocel ulose water-proofing solution afore instanced maybemanufactured from nitrocellulose and commercial acetone by firstsubjecting the latter to a refining process in which it is freed fromwater and any coloring matter present. This may be advantageouslyeffected by treatment with freshly burned quicklime or other suitabledrying agent until the acetone is rendered nonaqueous, and in cases inwhich the commercial acetone is of a yellow or othercolor it may betreated with bleaching powder or other oxidizing or reducing agent orsubstance suitable to destroy colored impurities, during the process ofdrying. After such treatment the acetone is filtered if necessary andemployed for the solution of the nitrocellulose which after strainin orfiltering is applied to the dry hat in a fiiin transparent ayer.

For an understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and to the accom anying drawing which re resents asection 0 a straw hat.

11 carrying out this invention I coat the dried material A which may beof straw, palm-leaf or the like with a coatin B of nitrocellulose inprepared acetone. he solution-may be applied either before or after thehat has gone'through the ordinary process of shaping, either by soakingthematerial in it, or by applying it to the material in the manner of avarnish. After such treatment thehat is dried until the solutionevaporates leaving a dry transparent. film or coating. This process maybe repeated one or more times with the same hat.

A hat can,'if desired, be so treated that 1t is not different in generala pearance from an ordinary untreated hat, t 1s being effected by takingcare that the solution applied dries colorless and transparent.

Hats of straw, palm-leaf and the like, when treated withthis solution,may be safel T exposed to rain without losing shapeor nlsh and washed orimmersed in water wlthout suffering damage either in shape orappearance.

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. Thehereinbefore described process consisting of dissolving nitrocellulosein comtion, and applying the solution in a thin mercial acetone,combining a sulfurous acid layer to ahat. 10 therewith and applying thesolution in a thin In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my layer to ahat. hand in the resence of tWo Witnesses.

8. The hereinbefore. described process con- H RBERT PINK PEARSON.sisting of dissolving nitrocellulose in a solu- Witnesses: tion ofcommercial acetone and a sulfurous H. H. BOBART,

acid and adding a drying agent to the solu- F. L. RAND.

